Clickbait Psychology: Why your brain wants you to click

When you go online, they’re always there. Those little nuggets lurking at the edges of whatever you're reading, saying "click me!" Can you resist their magnetic pull? Jimmy Rhoades and branding consultant Ali Craig are exploring the psychology of clickbait.

1. You Brain Has a Biorhythm

You can actually see in the brain when someone is scared about a photo in the beginning and then get used to it after about 15 times of seeing it. That's why you see the same images everywhere and then you never see that picture again.

2. Obvious Photoshops

That exaggeration is playing on our natural need for wanting more. These exaggerated photos, though we know logically are not real, play on that desire that we want more so we're going to click on it.

3. The Honey Boo Boo Effect

It's really the Honey Boo-Boo Effect because it makes us feel good about ourselves because at least we're not that person.

4. The Unauthorized Use

You don't have to be a movie star to get played. Consumerist reported that scammers used screen captures from YouTuber Janet D'Oliveria's post on getting Botox injections to sell skin cream that's "better than Botox." Anyone can just easily go swipe our picture from our profile page and use it however they want. You could be used in an advertisement, you could be used as social proof for a product or service that you may not even agree with and you don't even know it. Google yourself and then send a cease and desist of your own just like the stars do.

Have you ever fallen for clickbait? You can keep the conversation going on our Facebook page, @TheListShowTV.